CBS issued an apology after a timing mixup during a Billy Joel concert special left viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones disappointed. The special, which was celebrating the singer-songwriter’s 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden, was cut off abruptly during the final two minutes.
The program unexpectedly transitioned to local news telecasts during the final verse of Joel’s iconic hit, “Piano Man.” This error was attributed to a timing mistake caused by the delayed start of the special, which was a result of the Masters golf tournament coverage and a CBS News special report.
The network has promised to re-air the concert special on Friday to ensure that fans in all time zones have the opportunity to watch it in its entirety. Despite the apology, social media users were quick to express their frustration with the network’s blunder. One post even rewrote the “Piano Man” chorus to criticize CBS for the mixup.
Billy Joel’s milestone performance was highly anticipated by fans, making the timing error particularly disappointing. The singer-songwriter’s ongoing residency at Madison Square Garden has been a major success, making this particular concert special a significant moment for both Joel and his fans.
As CBS works to rectify the mistake and re-air the special, viewers are hopeful that they will finally get to see the full performance without any interruptions.